Ashes and Flames
by Eulaliaaaa
Summary: "Why did this happen now of all times, when vermin were massing their strength against us? What did we do to deserve such apparent collusion of land and beasts against us?" Brian Jaques owns the Redwall universe Very, very long term hiatus. Explanation inside.
1. Chapter 1

_From the Journal of Pundit fieldmouse, Recorder and Educator of Redwall Abbey, his fourth season at either post, in the fifth season P.C. ~ _

_ Ever since the war ended The Long Patrol had anxiously awaited their chance to return to Salamandastron. Their impatience was only exceeded by their appetite, which had, by the time we all left the Abbey, nearly eaten us out of kitchen and cupboard. We could hardly refuse to give them the food they ask us for; they did save Redwall from complete and utter destruction after all. If only they had left the mountain sooner, then the damage in inner Mossflower might not have been so severe._

_ For four, long seasons scouts of the hares have watched Salamandastron, as close as they dared to go. You can imagine the jubilation that erupted throughout Redwall when they brought back word that the mountain slept once again. The hares were for setting out immediately, but we convinced them to stay for our celebratory feast. That was not difficult in the least._

_ That feast was a feast to remember! Pies, puddings, cakes, breads, cheeses, salads, beautiful fish, scrumptious ciders, delightful deserts, splendid soups… I'll end there before I make myself hungry thinking of it! The games and fun were non-stop. There were entertainment contests, races, archery contests, wrestling, word games, riddle challenges, charades, and creatures everywhere setting up a din with what they call singing. Singing! More like croaking like frogs, squeaking like a rusty gate, belting out slurred tunes like tone-deaf foghorns. This was followed, of course, by the dibbun's imitations, oh my word! There were some who could carry a tune, luckily, and some of these quite well. I found my way over to them and even sung a song or two myself. (But don't tell Cloy I did, she'll ask to hear me and the I'll have to sing for her, and singing is not really my thing, if you follow me.)_

_ Anyway, after just three days Lord Lascar said that they must be off to home, what's left of it, and the rebuilding must start. Of course, there were many Redwallers who insisted on going to help, (myself for one, such an enterprise should not go on without being recorded into history), so many that only just over half of the volunteers got to go, a total of one hundred accompanying the hares westward! With the help of so many able workbeasts, Salamandastron will be a proper home and fortification again in no time. Or, so I thought then. I had not yet seen the western shores, and the state such catastrophic disturbances had left them in. I can vividly remember when my mind was forcefully changed on that subject by the simple powers of observation._

_ I was walking over the pass through the western mountains, wading through the grey muck Salamandastron's convulsions had ejected, stirring up an awful dust, which made it difficult to breathe, even with a cloth over my snout. I crested a rise, and stumbled as the ash and dust suddenly grew deeper. I looked up and stopped dead in my tracks. _

_ The fact that we had gone over the high point of the pass barely registered in my stunned mind. All my being was focused on the bleak, seemingly lifeless shoreline far ahead of and below me. The layer of grey dust obscured everything. Sands, slopes, dunes, grasses, all were covered. Rains had gouged out ravines in the shore, where small, grey streams trickled towards a grey tinted sea. In the center of it all soared Salamandastron, greatly increased in size, a ruinous heap of rock, a large crater in its top looking like a shattered eggshell. Wisps of smoke, or more windblown ash, curled from the crater._

_ I remember my awe, horror, and fear. This destruction was something we had no control over, and could not predict. What if it were to happen again, worse yet, while we are here? Why did this happen now of all times, when vermin were massing their strength against us? What did we do to deserve such apparent collusion of land and beasts against us? Now my only comfort is in knowing that we did not fall. We may have be left on our knees, but we did not fall, and now we can recover. The shores can be watched again, and to all appearances, the Long Patrol scouts were right, and the mountain now sleeps._

_ There is more encouragement. Even among the ashes of this landscape, apparently bleak and wasted from a distance, there is still life. Plants are springing up as it they mean to make one spring do for many, small animals are returning. Beetles and insects scurry among the small shrubs. Everything is coming back to life, except the mountain. The decision on whether the Long Patrol shall live inside Salamandastron or simply on its slopes with buildings and fortifications has not yet been made. Whichever it is, we of Redwall are here to help._

Pundit sat up from his position hunched over his volume. He looked south, towards the great bulk of rock which dominated that horizon, and his focus for the last four days. He looked back down to the pages, dipped his quill and added his signature. Wiping the excess ink on a tuft of grass peeking out of an ashy crevice, the mouse blew gently on the pages to dry them. Closing the book, he placed it in his pack with his pen and ink and flicked the pack into the air with his tail. He thrust his arm through one strap without bothering to catch it and set off back towards the camp, closer to the mountain.

Pundit hummed happily, skipping along in the light of the sunset. He leapt high and clapped his footpaws together, it was finished! The chronicle of the Seasons of the Fire Mountain was finally done. It had taken utmost care in recording his memories and those of many others to the slightest detail and seasons of fleshing out his notes, but it was done. He smiled widely, and trotted over a rise, eager to share his accomplishment with someone, Cloy if she wasn't busy, but anyone would do.

Suddenly Pundit stopped, for in the valley before him was a tiny camp, and sitting in it was an elderly, emaciated hedgehog with his back towards Pundit. The mouse's eyes widened as the hedgehog raised a knife, blade pointing towards his own chest. Pundit dashed forward a few feet and shouted frantically, "Hey, hey you! Stop!"

The hedgehog whirled around, saw the young mouse, and threw the knife away like it had bitten him. He then proceeded to dash up the hill towards Pundit calling in a hoarse voice, "Ho, it's good to see a friendly face after all the seasons! Do you have a bite to eat or summat t' drink on ye young'un?"

Pundit advanced slowly, taking his pack off his back, "I certainly do, just a bit of leftover lunch: a small loaf of bread, half a canteen of cordial too!"

The hedgehog stopped a few paces away, deep depression settled into his features. He looked down, "Then ye'd better ration y'self, y' might have enough to get out of this wasteland. Now where'd I throw that knife?"

The hedgehog began to turn back into the valley, but Pundit leapt forward and grabbed him by the shoulder, being careful not to get himself pricked, "Now stop that! My food is yours, you need it more than I do!"

The hedgehog shook his head despondently, "No, no, you go, leave while y' can. I'll jus' end it 'ere. Better t' go quick-like then starve t' death, an' better t' starve to death then be an searat's oar slave, eh? At least I made it t' the shore."

Pundit forcefully pulled the hedgehog to face him, "Oh, no you don't. You aren't going to starve, and neither am I. Today is your lucky day, friend. I'm from a whole woodlander camp just an hour or so south of here. The Long Patrol is back!"

The hedgehog's eyes lit up, "Really? Y' mean there's food an' water an'… everythin'?"

Pundit smiled warmly at the escapee, "And all the friendly company you could want, half of Redwall has come along to help them settle back in! As a matter a fact, I'm from the Abbey!"

The hedgehog smiled. He smiled a real, hope filled, joyful smile. "Y' don't say?"

Pundit grinned and bowed cordially, "I do say. Pundit, recorder of Redwall abbey, at your service. Now, why don't you have something to eat and tell me more about yourself."

The hedgehog accepted the offer of food and drink quite gratefully now. Pundit stood, prepared to be patient while his guest ate, but there was no need for patience. One minute later, Pundit's eyes were wide with disbelief, "Gosh, I've never even seen a _hare_ eat that fast before!"

The hedgehog smiled, "Thank ye' for the food, Pundit, Rustip Prickleback thanks ye from the bottom of 'is 'eart."

Pundit nodded deeply, "You're very welcome, I couldn't do anything less! Now, how about we head down to the camp, and you can tell me your story."

Rustip bobbed his head wearily and swayed slightly on his feet, "I surely will. Do y' mind if I lean on ye on the way? I'll not prick ye."

By way of answer, Pundit stepped alongside the hedgehog and allowed the elderly beast to put his weight on his shoulder. Rustip smiled again, "Thank ye kindly," he sighed, "Now, where to begin… at the beginning I suppose. I've been slave of the seascum since I was young, y' understand, a'rowin' and a'rowin' in their galleys. Even so, all of us oar beasts 'ad heard tales of Salamandastron an' Redwall Abbey. Now I made up my mind that I was goin' to escape an' see those places, maybe live there. I always looked fer an opportunity, but one never came."

The pair of woodlanders walked down along the beach, Pundit listening sympathetically as Rustip continued his tale. "Finally, a fierce storm struck us, the ship was lookin' like she was going under. So the cap'n ordered that we slaves were to be taken out and thrown overboard, just like that." Rustip paused and glanced at Pundit's horrified expression. "I see you haven't experienced what searats can do."

Pundit shook his head, "Quite the contrary actually, but we could fight back, and did."

Rustip raised an eyebrow at him, "Hmm, you did eh? Well, so did I. The rest were resigned to their fate, I watched fer me chance. We were brought on deck, an' just then a mighty wave rose up off the port side, huge monster, higher than the ship easily. It would hit us in moments, so I rushed a guard with an axe, wrestled it away from 'im, and chopped me self out of yon slave chain. I didn't have time to do any more, cause then the wave hit the ship broadside on. Must've been a chunk of rock in that monster wave, cause even as I was swept off the deck, I felt an impact, and knew the ship 'ad been 'oled as surely as if she'd been rammed. I fell in the waves and grabbed a passing spar and a barrel afore I could go under."

Rustip fell silent. After a moment he continued, "Those were tough days. I drank rainwater, ate salted seabird and slept on a chunk of wood, hanging onto the knife which I'd dug into the spar. I drifted towards this here shore slow an' sure. I was on m' last legs when I finally saw land. I struck out, paddling towards it. There was a mountain rising up, and I couldn't believe my luck, coming ashore right at Salamandastron! Then as I got closer, well, I saw this." Rustip gestured around at the destroyed terrain, "You can imagine my reaction. At first I couldn't believe it. Then, I despaired. I drifted ashore, pulled up my empty food barrel and spar with half a sail around it an' a knife stuck in it, and settled down to starve. Then I saw the knife, and you saw me, an' for the first time I've got myself a true, good friend."

Rustip finished, and the pair walked on in silence, Pundit digesting what he'd just heard. Finally the young mouse nodded and spoke quietly, "I see."

There was another pause as they pressed on. Rustip stopped, causing Pundit to stop with him. The hedgehog stared at Salamandastron. "You know what I don't see?" he said bitterly.

Pundit blinked at him, "What?"

Rustip waved his arm weakly all around them, "This! How could all this just happen! This is Salamandastron isn't it?"

Pundit nodded, so the hedgehog continued, "This isn't the Salamandastron we told stories about. What happened here? How did this place come to be destroyed? Did the fire lizards want their home back or something?"

Pundit blinked at him in confusion, "Huh?"

Rustip stared the mouse, "Salamandastron, aka, mountain of the fire lizard, aka, fire lizard's mountain. Did the fire lizard come back?" a new, quizzical look entered the hedgehog's eyes, "And where does Redwall fit in to all of this? And you?"

Pundit shook his head slowly, "That, my old friend, is a long story. One I have just finished chronicling will be happy to tell to you when we get to the camp."

Rustip abruptly moved forward again, practically pulling Pundit along with him in his eagerness for food and the answers to his questions, "Well then, let's get to your camp!"

_Well, here is this little story. I am not sure whether I should continue it or not. If I do continue, the main body of the chapters will be the telling of the story up to this point with the very beginning and very end of the chapters at Salamandastron with them doing the clean-up. Realize though, if I continue this story it will mean that other ones come out significantly later. Please review, I need your input on this!_


	2. Chapter 2

_Hello, Eulaliaaaa here. This is just an alert saying that this story is not going to be continued, I've got way too much to write as it is. Instead, the story of the eruption of Salamandastron will be summarized in the prologue of Book One of the FIrefur Saga, which I'm about to start really working on and will by uploading in a few weeks! Huzzah, finally! I would have like to do this story in detail too, but I just couldn't get into it, and it really isn't very important in my Redwall fanfic series. I may come back after the firefur saga and do it in full then, but even that won't be for a LONG time, because after the firefur saga, I'll be doing what was formerly called, "Tales of Norterro", you might remember it, the story with the great kingdom in the north and so on. Yeah. So, see you all in a few weeks!_


	3. ALERT! ALERT! UPDATE DETECTED!

Okay, I know I said I wouldn't be continuing this story. I lied. I will rewrite it in full after the firefur saga, which is taking much longer than expected because of a rewrite of the first few chapters, (Again, to improve it), school, and family life stuff. Anyway firefur saga will come. It will I promise! I hope you guys actually still remember I exist…

Anyway, I'm finally getting back into the fanfiction realm, and I promise you, there will be no more rewrites/restarts of the firefur saga. This thing has been… germinating for three years, and it is ready to come into bloom, I know that as certainly as I know the sun will rise tomorrow. If it's any consolation, I'm done with the prologue and almost chapter one, (the chapters are LONG, even for me) and it is turning out far better than I expected.

Anyway, see ya all, hopefully soon.

_Eulaliaaaa_


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